Carib Scope

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  • St. Kitts Prosecutors Seek Keran Wynter, Believed to Be in Antigua, Over Pending EC$24,074 Theft Case

    St. Kitts Prosecutors Seek Keran Wynter, Believed to Be in Antigua, Over Pending EC$24,074 Theft Case

    Authorities in the Federation of St. Christopher and Nevis have issued an urgent public appeal and formal warning as they hunt for a woman facing grand larceny charges who has fled the country and rebranded her identity to avoid prosecution. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) confirmed that the suspect, originally named Keran Wynter, is now operating under the alias Keran Shantil Millard and is believed to be currently residing in Antigua and Barbuda.

    The legal case against Wynter dates back to early 2022, when she was working as an accounts clerk at Timothy Beach Resort on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. Court indictments filed with the St. Christopher and Nevis High Court allege that between February 21 and March 24, 2022, Wynter misappropriated approximately 24,074.12 Eastern Caribbean dollars in resort funds, a charge classified as larceny by servant.

    After being formally charged, Wynter was released on bail set at 50,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars, with her mother and sister acting as court-approved sureties to guarantee her court attendance. But when trial proceedings were scheduled, Wynter failed to appear: investigators confirmed she had left St. Kitts and Nevis for neighboring Antigua and Barbuda, and intelligence indicates she has no plans to return voluntarily to face the charges against her. As a result of her bail violation, the ODPP is now moving forward with legal action to seize the full 50,000-dollar bail sum from Wynter’s sureties, who are currently before the court in connection with the case.

    In addition to the public appeal for information, the ODPP has issued a clear warning to any individual in Antigua and Barbuda who may be knowingly aiding Wynter’s efforts to evade arrest. The office stressed that anyone who intentionally conceals Wynter’s location, provides false details about her identity, helps her avoid law enforcement contact, or otherwise obstructs the legal process could face criminal investigation and prosecution themselves.

    Depending on the nature of the assistance provided and applicable law, such aiding conduct could result in charges including being an accessory after the fact or attempted perversion of the course of justice. The ODPP noted that publication of this appeal puts all members of the public on formal notice of the pending proceedings, though criminal liability for any assisting party will still require proof of all legal elements of an offense, including required knowledge and intent on the part of the accused. The office has urged anyone currently helping Wynter evade law enforcement to immediately stop their cooperation to avoid potential legal consequences.

    The ODPP has directly called on Wynter to surrender voluntarily to law enforcement authorities in Antigua and Barbuda, and cooperate with legal processes arranged for her extradition or transfer back to St. Kitts and Nevis. The office confirmed that Wynter will receive full due process under the law, including the opportunity to mount a defense before an independent, impartial court, and that she remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    Members of the public in Antigua and Barbuda who hold any information about Wynter’s current location—whether under her original name or alias Keran Millard—are urged to contact either the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda or the St. Christopher and Nevis ODPP directly with details. The public has been explicitly instructed not to confront or attempt to apprehend Wynter themselves, to avoid any risk of harm.

    Finally, the ODPP has formally requested that the Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda review the case and initiate appropriate extradition or transfer procedures under Antigua and Barbuda’s 2014 Immigration and Passport Act to secure Wynter’s return to St. Kitts and Nevis to face her pending charges. The ODPP reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with Antiguan and Barbudan authorities to ensure the outstanding criminal proceedings are resolved fairly and in full accordance with the rule of law.

  • Belize: Guatemalan Military Overflight Would Be “Violation of Sovereignty”

    Belize: Guatemalan Military Overflight Would Be “Violation of Sovereignty”

    In a development that risks inflaming long-standing tensions between two Central American neighbors, Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched an official investigation into reports of an unauthorised incursion by a Guatemalan military aircraft into Belizean airspace. The incident, which unfolded on the evening of September 24, 2026, has prompted a firm warning from Belize that any such violation of its territorial integrity will not be tolerated.

    Multiple independent flight tracking sources confirm the details of the flight in question. The aircraft, identified as a Guatemalan Air Force Pilatus PC-12 NG light utility aircraft with registration number 706 and operating under callsign FAG706, departed Guatemala City at 6:01 p.m. local time. Data from FlightAware shows the plane traveled over open water, passed south of Honduras, and then changed course toward Belizean territory. Flight tracking logs indicate the plane made multiple passes over Lighthouse Reef Atoll, a protected marine reserve located roughly 50 miles off Belize’s mainland and indisputably within Belizean borders. The aircraft was last tracked near the popular tourist destination of Caye Caulker at 8:06 p.m., at which point its transponder signal went dark.

    Belize’s foreign ministry confirmed it has received preliminary reports of the incursion and is collaborating with the country’s Ministry of National Defence and Border Security to fully verify the details of the incident. In a clear statement on the incident, the ministry emphasized that “any incursion of a foreign military aircraft into Belize’s airspace would be a violation of Belize’s sovereignty and will be countered appropriately.” Prime Minister Briceño has previously expressed confidence that the ongoing territorial dispute between the two nations, currently being adjudicated by the International Court of Justice, will be resolved in Belize’s favor, stating “Confident All Doubts Will Be Removed!”

    Guatemala’s Ministry of National Defence has responded to the incident with a carefully worded general statement that neither confirms nor denies the specific details of Thursday’s flight. The communiqué asserted that all operations conducted by the Guatemalan armed forces adhere to national and international law, and that the military acts with professionalism, discipline, and respect for human rights in carrying out its constitutional mandate. The statement closed with the military’s official slogan: “With dignity, respect and transparency, we defend the Nation.”

    The incident comes at a sensitive moment in the relationship between the two nations, as a decades-long territorial dispute over the border region between Belize and Guatemala is currently before the International Court of Justice. Any unauthorized military activity in the contested border region is widely expected to draw heightened diplomatic attention, as both nations work toward a formal resolution of their outstanding territorial claims.

  • Dominican Republic reports rise in September gunfights

    Dominican Republic reports rise in September gunfights

    In the wake of a high-profile murder that sent shockwaves through Dominican society, a disturbing pattern of fatal police encounters has emerged, drawing condemnation from human rights advocates. Less than 24 hours after the country’s National Police confirmed that eight alleged criminals were shot and killed during separate gunfire exchanges across multiple regions of the Dominican Republic, human rights officials are sounding the alarm over a rapidly escalating death toll that far outpaces projections.

    The most recent wave of police killings follows the murder of Zenaida Castillo, wife of renowned merengue singer Julián Oro Duro. That high-profile incident, which has already resulted in four arrests, shook public trust in law enforcement’s ability to keep communities safe, but human rights leaders say the response from police has raised even more pressing concerns.

    Manuel María Mercedes, a representative of the Dominican Republic’s Human Rights Commission, reports that the official 8 fatalities in less than a day do not capture the full scale of the crisis. By his count, at least 31 people have been killed in police shootouts across the country already in September alone. When extended across the full calendar year, that figure jumps to 200 deaths linked to apparent exchanges of gunfire with police agents — a toll that Mercedes says has already far outpaced the projected total for 2025.

    Mercedes has publicly called on Dominican President Luis Abinader to intervene immediately, demanding an end to what human rights activists describe as extrajudicial “police killings.” He argues that law enforcement should prioritize capturing suspects alive whenever possible, pointing to the successful arrest of four suspects in the Zenaida Castillo murder as a model for appropriate police action.

    National Police spokesperson Diego Pesqueira has defended the most recent operations, noting that all eight people killed were alleged dangerous criminals with active arrest warrants and multiple criminal complaints filed against them. The fatal encounters took place across five jurisdictions: Los Alcarrizos, Cabral in Barahona province, Gaspar Hernández, Santo Domingo East, and Santo Domingo West.

    The deceased individuals have been publicly identified by police: Gabriel Luis Montero (also known as “Campeón”), Domingo Santiago Valdez (“La Fama”), and José Daniel De La Cruz Valdez (“Hernán” or “Nay”) were killed in Los Alcarrizos; Carlos Julio Feliz Sena died in Cabral; Ricardo Polanco García (“Richard Gatillo”) was killed in Gaspar Hernández; Genny Santos Franco Jimenez, nicknamed “El Come Hombre de Los Frailes” or “Man Eater of Los Frailes,” was shot dead in Santo Domingo Este; and Haitian national José Manuel San Luis (“Negrón”) was killed in Las Caobas, Santo Domingo West. All were linked to a range of serious crimes including drug trafficking, homicide, and membership in organized criminal groups, with “Man Eater of Los Frailes” having been the subject of a widespread manhunt for months.

    A ninth alleged criminal, Hansel “Boca Negra,” was killed separately in Samaná during a confrontation with arresting officers. Police say “Boca Negra” was the prime suspect in the fatal shootings of two DICRIM (Criminal Investigations Department) officers, Major Andrés Pascual and Corporal William Antonio Jesús Heredia, in separate previous attacks. He was found hiding in a building in the Honduras neighborhood of Samaná and was in possession of a Glock pistol when officers located him.

    Pesqueira confirmed that the National Police is currently conducting a full review of all recent cases, with official detailed reports set to be released to the public in the coming days.

  • Inzet €33,3 miljoen slavernijmiddelen loopt vertraging op

    Inzet €33,3 miljoen slavernijmiddelen loopt vertraging op

    During the first in-person meeting between Suriname President Jennifer Simons and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten in New York this Thursday, a key development emerged: the operationalization of a €33.3 million Dutch fund earmarked for policy interventions addressing the shared legacy of slavery has been pushed back due to the need for additional coordination on how the funds will be deployed.

    The full Dutch commitment to this initiative totals €66.6 million, with half of the amount designated to be managed through the Suriname Single Donor Trust Fund (SDTF) in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). While Simons noted that constructive discussions have already taken place around the fund, additional alignment between the two governments is required, leading to the current delay.

    The legacy of slavery was a central topic of the bilateral discussion. President Simons emphasized that Suriname prioritizes continued progress on recognition, healing, and forward-looking collaboration, particularly for Indigenous communities and descendants of enslaved people. She also referenced the upcoming state visit of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands to Suriname scheduled for December 2025, framing the visit as a milestone in the bilateral relationship. Simons stressed that future cooperation between the two nations must be built on a foundation of equal standing, mutual respect, and shared interests.

    Beyond the slavery legacy fund, the two leaders covered a broad range of bilateral cooperation priorities. In the health sector, Suriname is seeking Dutch support for capacity building and sustained funding to turn short-term training programs for healthcare workers into long-term structural initiatives. For education, Suriname has identified priority areas for collaboration including vocational training for construction, mechanical engineering, agricultural technology, and tourism.

    The meeting also included discussion of the Makandra Program, an existing initiative that Simons said has already delivered tangible improvements to the institutional capacity of Suriname’s government and public agencies. The recently launched Makandra 2.0, unveiled on July 23, is designed to further advance commitments made during the Dutch royal state visit.

    Additional agenda items included trade and investment, cultural heritage, security, and cross-border people-to-people movement. Suriname reiterated its longstanding call for the Netherlands to ease its visa procedures for Surinamese travelers, though no concrete details on proposed changes or a timeline for implementation were released following the meeting.

    Prime Minister Jetten commented after the meeting that the long shared history between the Netherlands and Suriname has created deep interconnectedness across multiple areas. He highlighted education, justice, health, and economic development as key sectors where the two nations hold aligned shared interests, laying the groundwork for continued collaborative progress.

  • Security : Transforming security progress into lasting stabilization (speech)

    Security : Transforming security progress into lasting stabilization (speech)

    In a September 24, 2026 address to the ministerial meeting of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti, United Nations Secretary-General Special Representative Carlos Ruiz Massieu laid out a cohesive, multi-pronged strategy to convert incremental security gains against gang activity into long-term, sustainable stability for the crisis-battered Caribbean nation.

    Massieu opened his remarks by thanking the Advisory Group and Canada, which holds the group’s leadership, for reconvening international stakeholders and maintaining consistent diplomatic and operational engagement with Haiti. He centered his speech on a core question: how the global community and Haitian national institutions can build on current security progress to deliver tangible, lasting improvements to everyday Haitian lives.

    With the UN Security Council set to review and renew the mandate of the multinational Gang Suppression Force (GSF) before the end of September 2026, Massieu emphasized that sustained international unity behind the mission remains non-negotiable. While mandate renewal is a critical foundational step, he argued it is only one component of effective security action. The GSF must reach full operational deployment and capacity as rapidly as possible, he said, even as Haitian national authorities work to build up their own domestic security institutions.

    Even as offensive security operations push gangs out of controlled territory, Massieu warned that military and police progress alone is not enough to lock in gains. Once an area is cleared of armed groups, state authority and basic public services must be restored immediately: local government presence, civilian policing, functional schools, accessible judicial institutions, and resumed economic activity. Without this rapid follow-through, a power vacuum will emerge, giving gangs room to reassert control, he explained.

    To avoid this outcome, Massieu called for coordinated, rapid pre-planning among Haitian national authorities, UN agencies, international development partners, and global financial institutions to mobilize response efforts the moment security gains are achieved. Crucially, he stressed that Haitian national institutions must lead all response efforts, pointing to decades of past international engagement in Haiti that show progress only endures when local institutions can establish legitimacy, deliver services, and build trust with local communities.

    Beyond securing and holding cleared territory, Massieu highlighted two underaddressed challenges that threaten long-term stability: gang recruitment and the unregulated flow of illegal weapons that fuel ongoing violence. This gap, he said, makes disarmament, dismantlement, and reintegration (DDR) an essential, non-negotiable component of any stabilization strategy. Work underway with Haitian authorities to develop a national, Haitian-led comprehensive DDR framework is therefore a critical priority.

    Contrary to common framing, Massieu argued that DDR does not need to wait for full security restoration. Instead, it should run parallel to active security operations, creating credible exit pathways for gang members who want to leave armed violence, whether individually or as a group, establishing specific protective pathways for children exploited by gangs, and blocking further recruitment of vulnerable youth. This approach does not weaken security operations or grant impunity to gang leaders, he clarified; instead, it makes sustained security pressure more effective by giving members an incentive to exit as pressure on criminal networks grows.

    That said, Massieu emphasized that accountability and justice must be integrated into stabilization efforts from the very start. Haitian communities that have suffered widespread gang violence demand a clear separation between disengagement pathways for lower-level members and impunity for leaders responsible for mass atrocities. This means advancing security, DDR, and justice in lockstep: maintaining pressure on armed networks, creating differentiated support for vulnerable participants (especially children), and holding perpetrators of grave crimes accountable. In this context, he noted that progress toward launching specialized judicial units to investigate and prosecute serious gang-related violence is particularly important.

    Finally, Massieu tied security and stabilization progress directly to Haiti’s ongoing political transition. The country’s electoral process, already underway, will only be able to proceed broadly and fairly if basic security conditions are established first. Reopening strategic transport routes, restoring state presence, and guaranteeing freedom of movement are not just security goals — they are essential requirements for reopening the space for democratic political life to resume. As Haitian institutions consider necessary adjustments to keep the electoral process on track, Massieu urged stakeholders to maintain momentum, preserve public confidence in the process, and prevent political uncertainty from becoming a new source of instability.

    In closing, Massieu reiterated that progress on each priority — security, DDR, justice, and elections — depends on progress in the others. Without credible exit pathways from violence, security gains will remain fragile; without consistent accountability, DDR will be seen as a path to impunity for criminal leaders; without tangible political progress toward democratic governance, none of the gains will endure. This integrated, mutually reinforcing approach sits at the core of the UN and UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) mandate, which works alongside Haitian authorities and international partners to coordinate a cohesive response.

    Achieving this goal, however, requires sustained, coordinated international support. The ECOSOC Ad Hoc Advisory Group, Massieu said, has a critical role to play in maintaining global attention on Haiti, mobilizing needed resources, and aligning international support behind Haitian-led priorities. The recently launched Multi-Partner Trust Fund provides a concrete, functional mechanism to bring together international partners and resources around shared national priorities, and Massieu called for full utilization of the fund to deliver coordinated, ongoing support to Haiti. “This is a window of opportunity that we cannot miss,” Massieu said. “It must be seized.”

  • Indian Seafarer Killed in Attack on Antigua and Barbuda-Flagged Ship Near Strait of Hormuz

    Indian Seafarer Killed in Attack on Antigua and Barbuda-Flagged Ship Near Strait of Hormuz

    A fatal assault on a Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk cargo vessel transiting the Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman has left one Indian maritime worker dead and triggered an urgent international investigation into the nature and perpetrators of the attack. The incident, which unfolded on Wednesday, September 23, targeted the MV Cape Dao, a bulk carrier en route from the United Arab Emirates to India, according to official updates from Oman’s Maritime Security Centre.

    Following the strike, the vessel suffered significant damage that ignited a blaze in its engine room, leaving the ship dead in the water. Quick response teams from the Omani navy deployed immediately to the scene of the emergency, successfully evacuating all 27 surviving crew members from the burning vessel and bringing them to safety.

    In subsequent identifications released by Indian news outlets, the deceased seafarer was named as Suraj Yadav, a native of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. Of the full 28-person complement on board the MV Cape Dao at the time of the attack, 20 were citizens of India, marking the heavy Indian representation in the commercial vessel’s crew.

    To date, key details about the attack remain unconfirmed, with conflicting accounts emerging from initial intelligence and on-scene reports. Some sources have documented the strike as coming from two torpedoes, while early assessments from maritime security agencies categorized the weapon involved as an unknown projectile. No group or nation has yet claimed responsibility for the assault, and official investigations are still working to pinpoint both the perpetrators and the underlying motive for the attack on the commercial vessel.

  • Column: Lege stoelen bij de VN: principes of machtspolitiek.

    Column: Lege stoelen bij de VN: principes of machtspolitiek.

    On Thursday, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approached the United Nations General Assembly podium to deliver his address, a near-total walkout of diplomatic delegations sent a wordless but stark rebuke – a public demonstration of refusal to listen to his speech. This form of quiet protest is a well-established right for diplomats, and in many cases, a visible, dramatic gesture carries more weight than a lengthy written statement. However, such a symbolic act only holds moral and political legitimacy if it is rooted in clear, consistently applied principles that apply equally to all actors on the global stage. The United Nations cannot maintain its credibility if it stages public walkouts to condemn one leader for grave actions, while remaining seated and silent when another perpetrator commits comparable violations.

    To be clear, this is not a defense of Netanyahu or current Israeli policy. The catastrophic suffering inflicted on the Palestinian people cannot be dismissed or justified through appeals to national security, historical context, or political circumstance. That same standard holds for violence targeting Israeli civilians, too. Even amid the long fight for Palestinian statehood and amid the occupation and oppression that frame their struggle, Palestinian armed groups cannot legitimize attacks on civilian lives. No stated political goal, however sympathetic, can make violence against innocent civilians acceptable.

    Empty seats as a protest against offending leaders only carry substantive meaning if guided by a single, consistent moral and legal metric. The United Nations, an organization founded explicitly to advance global peace, should deny a platform to any actor that targets civilian populations, violates fundamental human rights, infringes on national sovereignty, and flouts international law – this principle must apply regardless of who the perpetrator is. Whether the violation is committed by Israel, a Palestinian armed group, the United States, or any other nation or non-state actor, the identity of the offender should never change the universal norm that is being violated.

    The 2025 incursion into Venezuela illustrates why this consistency is non-negotiable. In January of that year, U.S. military forces entered Venezuelan territory, killed dozens of civilians, and detained democratically elected President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, transporting them to the United States to face criminal prosecution. While the White House defended the operation as legitimate, international legal experts have raised widespread and serious questions about its legal foundation. Core international law strictly prohibits the use of military force against another sovereign state, except in very limited circumstances such as self-defense or when explicitly authorized by the UN Security Council. No one is required to defend Maduro’s domestic governance to condemn the U.S. incursion as a violation of international order. A person’s view of Maduro’s administration does not alter the core problem: when a major global power unilaterally decides it can invade another nation, abduct its leader, and bring them to its own territory for trial, the entire foundation of the post-WWII international rules-based order is put at grave risk. If this precedent stands, might will replace right as the governing principle of global relations.

    This week, U.S. President Donald Trump himself spoke from the UN podium, where he highlighted American military power and cited the Venezuela operation as proof of Washington’s willingness to take aggressive action in the Western Hemisphere. During his address, the Cuban delegation staged a walkout, but the large-scale, visible protest that greeted Netanyahu did not materialize on the same scale against Trump. This discrepancy exposes the double standard that the United Nations cannot afford to tolerate. Who receives a forceful moral rebuke should never depend on political alliances, great power protection, military strength, or selective historical interpretation. Those who claim to defend universal principles must uphold those principles even when doing so is politically inconvenient.

    This standard applies equally to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel cannot justify all its actions by citing national security needs, just as Palestinian armed groups cannot justify attacks on civilians by pointing to their decades-long struggle. Historical context can help explain how the conflict emerged, but it cannot serve as a free pass for actions that violate universal norms today. Even a goal deemed politically just does not justify every method used to achieve it.

    The United Nations was specifically created to clarify this distinction and enforce consistent standards. The organization was not founded to treat allies more leniently than enemies, nor was it designed to grant greater rights to powerful nations than small, vulnerable states. An ally should not face less scrutiny simply because it is a strategic partner.

    An empty seat can be a powerful symbol of moral outrage, but only if that symbol is applied consistently across all cases of violation. Without that consistency, supposed moral outrage devolves into political selectivity. It is not principle that determines who gets condemned, but the temporary power dynamics and political interests of the moment.

    The core message the UN should send is far broader than simply walking out on one leader it opposes. It should send a clear, unified message that violence against civilians, gross human rights violations, and disregard for international law are judged the same way no matter whether the perpetrator is a friend or foe, a great power, a sovereign state, or an armed movement. An empty seat must mean the same thing for everyone. Because once rules are only strictly applied to political opponents, those rules lose all credibility. We stop talking about universal principles and start accepting power politics as usual – and the United Nations was founded to stand above that corrosive double standard.

  • Soedamah wil Nationale Diasporaraad en bredere rol voor PSA-regeling

    Soedamah wil Nationale Diasporaraad en bredere rol voor PSA-regeling

    On Thursday, during the 10th annual Mr. Jagernath Lachmon Lecture held in Amsterdam, Lachman Soedamah, chair of the Dutch chapter of the Surinamese VHP party, presented a comprehensive long-term strategy called Diaspora Vision 2050, calling on Suriname to build a permanent, institutionalized framework for collaboration with its global diaspora community.

    Soedamah argues that Suriname’s current approach to engaging with Surinamers living abroad relies too heavily on informal personal connections, one-off projects, and shifting short-term political priorities, rather than a sustainable structure that can deliver consistent benefits for national development. Under his vision, the diaspora should be far more than just a source of remittances or occasional emergency aid. Surinamers across the globe hold specialized knowledge, decades of professional experience, expansive international networks, and untapped investment capital that can be mobilized to drive long-term growth in Suriname, he says, framing this potential as the foundation for a “global Surinamese nation” that extends beyond the country’s borders.

    At the core of Soedamah’s proposal is the establishment of a National Diaspora Council. This body would not replace the existing Surinamese government or National Assembly, but would instead serve three core functions: advising policymakers on diaspora-related issues, collecting input and feedback from Surinamers living abroad, and connecting individuals and organizations to facilitate collaborative projects. Beyond the central council, Soedamah also proposes launching dedicated diaspora institutions in Suriname and in countries that host large Surinamese communities, such as the Netherlands. These institutions would act as permanent, reliable touchpoints for diaspora members who want to contribute their skills to Suriname’s development, filling a critical gap that currently leaves many willing contributors without a clear path to action.

    To illustrate this gap, Soedamah points to a range of common examples: a Surinamese physician based in the Netherlands who wants to mentor early-career doctors in Paramaribo, an engineer with specialized expertise in water management eager to share knowledge, an entrepreneur with established access to global international markets looking to support local Surinamese businesses, an educator able to deliver digital learning opportunities, and a legal professional with experience in institutional strengthening who wants to pass on that knowledge. In each case, Soedamah notes, the willingness to contribute already exists, but there is no trusted, consistent structure to connect these initiatives to communities and institutions in Suriname. A formal legal framework for diaspora engagement would also ensure that policy does not shift dramatically with every change of government or depend on personal connections between individual officials and diaspora members.

    Soedamah also calls for a major expansion of the existing Persons of Surinamese Origin (PSA) scheme. Currently, the program primarily facilitates entry and residency for people with Surinamese ancestry traveling to or relocating in Suriname. Under his proposal, it would be transformed into a broad gateway for engagement, opening up access to knowledge exchange programs, internship placements, entrepreneurship support, cultural exchanges, and youth participation. Of particular focus in this expansion is outreach to second-, third-, and fourth-generation Surinamers born and raised outside the country, who often have weaker inherent ties to Suriname than first-generation emigrants. Soedamah emphasizes that these younger generations should be given structured opportunities to experience Suriname firsthand, pursue study, complete internships, launch businesses, and join collaborative projects in the country to nurture that connection.

    The VHP Netherlands chair also does not shy away from two long-debated, sensitive topics: dual citizenship and formal political representation for the diaspora. While he does not present a fully developed, final model for either issue in his lecture, Soedamah argues that Suriname can no longer avoid open discussion of these topics, and that they should be debated carefully and deliberately without rushing to a hasty conclusion.

    Throughout the plan, Soedamah stresses that long-term development of Suriname must ultimately be led and owned by stakeholders within the country itself. Structured diaspora engagement does not mean that Surinamers living abroad should take control of the development process, he clarifies. Instead, he frames the diaspora as an equal knowledge and development partner that can contribute to stronger public institutions, improved education, expanded entrepreneurship, and more robust inclusive economic growth. Summing up his vision, Soedamah says, “The Surinamese nation is larger than its territory.”

  • Saint Kitts and Nevis calls for stronger global partnerships to build SIDS resilience

    Saint Kitts and Nevis calls for stronger global partnerships to build SIDS resilience

    On the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24, 2026, a high-level working lunch for members of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) brought together key global stakeholders to address the cascading threats facing Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Co-hosted by German Foreign Minister Dr. Johann Wadephul and Palauan Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, the gathering became a platform for SIDS leaders to amplify their urgent call for systemic international support.

    Speaking on behalf of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Acting Prime Minister Dr. Geoffrey Hanley delivered a stark wake-up call to the global community: the overlapping vulnerabilities SIDS face can no longer be treated as isolated, regional challenges. He emphasized that for small island nations like Saint Kitts and Nevis, climate change, energy insecurity, and economic fragility are not separate issues — they are deeply interconnected threats that undermine every pillar of national stability.

    “For us, resilience is therefore not simply an environmental objective. It is an economic and national security imperative,” Hanley told attendees.

    Discussions at the working lunch centered on three core priorities: evolving international climate policy, collective resilience building, regional security cooperation, and growing energy vulnerabilities amplified by geopolitical tensions disrupting the Strait of Hormuz. Hanley highlighted how even minor disruptions to global energy markets and international supply chains trigger immediate, disproportionate harm to small island economies, pushing up the cost of fuel, transportation, and imported food overnight, eroding limited fiscal buffers and deepening existing inequalities.

    To counter these risks, Hanley outlined a clear path forward: the international community must expand SIDS’ access to low-cost climate finance, accelerate the transfer of renewable energy technology, and invest in climate-resilient infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather events and market shocks. Only through these targeted actions can SIDS shift from a perpetual state of crisis response to long-term, sustainable development.

    “Our objective should be clear: to move from vulnerability to resilience through stronger partnerships, greater access to finance and technology, diversified energy systems, and a stronger collective voice for SIDS,” Hanley said.

    He closed by reaffirming Saint Kitts and Nevis’ unwavering commitment to collaborating with Caribbean neighbors, fellow SIDS across the globe, and the broader international community to advance practical, actionable solutions that strengthen the resilience and advance the sustainable development of all small island states. This call comes as SIDS face intensifying climate impacts, from rising sea levels that threaten territorial integrity to more frequent extreme weather events that destroy critical infrastructure, alongside growing global economic and geopolitical volatility that disproportionately impacts low-lying, trade-dependent small economies.

  • Belize Battles Drugs And Human Trafficking

    Belize Battles Drugs And Human Trafficking

    Positioned along a key transit route for illicit global trade, Belize has emerged as a critical frontline in the regional battle against two pressing transnational crimes: human trafficking and the illegal drug trade. With the United States ramping up collaborative security efforts with the Belizean government, newly appointed U.S. Ambassador Andre Bauer has confirmed that disrupting these criminal networks will top his policy agenda during his tenure.

    In a recent public statement ahead of his term, Bauer outlined the strategic logic of the bilateral partnership: intercepting illegal narcotics in Belize before they can move north through established smuggling routes prevents the deadly substances from reaching communities across the United States, including fueling the ongoing devastating fentanyl crisis that has claimed tens of thousands of American lives annually.

    “Absolutely we are committed to this work, and we will spare no effort to partner with the Belizean government to eliminate human trafficking entirely,” Bauer said. “Even one person being trafficked is one too many. That is an injustice we cannot accept.”

    On the drug trade front, Bauer drew on personal experience to underscore the urgency of the mission, noting that he has personal friends who have lost children to accidental overdoses from fentanyl-laced substances, where victims had no idea they were consuming the deadly synthetic opioid. “Anytime drugs originating from other countries pass through Belize, and Belizean authorities seize those shipments, that is drugs that almost certainly would have ended up on American streets,” he explained.

    Bauer emphasized that even so-called entry-level narcotics seized in Belize carry long-term risks for American communities, as they often lead to addiction that progresses to harder, more dangerous substances like fentanyl. “As an American taxpayer, I fully support devoting all necessary resources to block drug flows through this region,” he said. “These drugs harm people in the countries they pass through first, before they go on to kill people in the United States. Cutting this supply chain at its source is one of the most effective steps we can take to save lives.”

    Alongside his focus on disrupting transnational criminal networks, Bauer highlighted three core priorities that will shape his work over the next several years in Belize: boosting public safety, strengthening national security, and expanding inclusive economic opportunity for Belizean communities. These three goals, he noted, are deeply interconnected: improving economic prospects for marginalized populations reduces vulnerability to recruitment by criminal organizations, while enhanced security creates the stable conditions needed for long-term economic growth.

    This report is adapted from a transcript of a televised evening news broadcast, with all translated content from Kriol rendered using a standardized spelling system for accuracy.